From the Ground Up
by chaosshotgun
Summary: The last Gray Wardens would have been a formidable bunch: twelve warriors with differing backgrounds and skills in varying fields, brought together by tragedy, betrayal, and happenstance. With personalities clashing at every moment, the adventure is bound to be anything but easy. Andraste's holy flaming knickers! [Semi AU, multiple Wardens, canon and noncanon origins apply]
1. Taking Flight

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not even my Wardens.**

**This is a rewrite of my original fic of the same title. Also uploaded in AO3 xD**

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**From the Ground Up**

**Chapter 1: Taking Flight  
**_I convinced myself that I would never find you when suddenly I saw you…_

**Elinore**

The bustle of activity throughout the keep did nothing to mask the feeling of emptiness in the keep. Troops throughout Highever are gathering here in Castle Cousland, as my father decided to answer King Cailan's call to arms against the Blight. My brother Fergus himself is supposed to lead the main body of our army while our father and a smaller group would accompany Lord Howe and his men, the latter which would be arriving tomorrow due to some kind of delay.

Watching everyone jog around, preparing for the march, I feel a pang of envy. I should be going with them. My father might have agreed, since he was the one responsible for my tutelage in the art of war. The problem is that my mother would not let me do anything that a lady should not. Which is infuriating. I would have thrown a fit if I was younger, but I knew better.

It's not like I'm not having a busy morning, either. What is supposed to be just a small errand to look for Fergus and tell him that he will be leaving before our father turned into being ordered around to look for my Mabari, Interceptor, who is currently terrorizing the kitchens.

I heard a loud bark behind me and I turned to watch my other brother, Evain, running toward me with his black Mabari, Shadow, at his heels. His curly black hair was on his face, and his dark eyes shone with glee.

Evain is the second eldest in the family, and it was the reason why he was not allowed to join the troops either. He was to act as Teyrn while our father, and our eldest brother were away. Every lord and lady we've met in our lifetime mentioned that he is the one who looks the most like our father, except for the curly hair. That'sinherited from our grandmother.

He brandishes a rolled-up scroll to my face with a cheeky smile. "Elissa wrote back," he told me. "Finally!"

As the youngest child, my twin sister Elissa wasn't expected to wed until I did, but somehow she had so many suitors that she finally settled down… in Dragon's Peak of all places. She married Bann Sighard's son, Lord Oswyn. It was a good match, and neither of our parents objected to it. It did frustrate my mother, though, because no suitors approached me for marriage yet – except Nathaniel Howe, but I let them know quickly that I would rather be a spinster than marry someone like him.

Luckily Lord Howe laughed it all off.

I don't really mind not having suitors. Unlike Elissa, with her glossy dark ringlets and bright green eyes, I have unruly waves in a messy bun and plain blue eyes. Besides, she is the perfect lady, and I am not good with anything but my swords. Now that she's living near Denerim though, I can't help but miss her. Well, at least she still has mountains surrounding her. Huh.

Evain watches me as I read the letter, which was just Elissa talking about the different lords and ladies who visited during the past weekends and the bolts of cloth that she purchased during a recent visit to Denerim.

Nothing about the unrest throughout Ferelden since King Cailan decided to fight against the Blight while it's still young.

"I miss her," I told Evain.

He nods, not needing any words to let me know that he feels the same way. "Where are you going anyway?"

I shrug. "Interceptor is terrorizing the servants in the kitchens again," I tell him.

"Let me help you," he replies. We begin to walk to the kitchen together. "There are a pair of Gray Wardens recruiting here. Warden Commander Duncan himself is doing most of the scouting. I heard some people discussing Roland joining."

Ser Roland Gilmore, the red-haired young knight we grew up with, used to give my sister the moon eyes. He started avoiding us when Elissa got married. He is one of the best knights in Castle Cousland – no, in Highever – and he is the leader of the castle guards since the older men and the veterans are off to fight the Blight.

Joining the Wardens would be more interesting than being married off to some lord or another. Maybe I could ask the Warden Commander or his companion to take me with them. I could fight almost as well as Evain, anyway.

"Well, I suppose that you had a more interesting morning," I mutter. "Mother is with Lady Landra and Dairren. You do remember them, right?"

"Bann Loren's wife and son. How can I forget?" Evain makes a face, remembering the wild-haired lady's advances on him when she got too drunk. I think that was during the spring salon a couple years ago. She also tried to make a match between Dairren and I.

Dairren. Ugh.

**Alistair**

Castle Cousland sure is busy. Or maybe that's just because almost everyone is off to fight the Blight. Families are seeing the warriors off, the Teyrn's son – Fergus? Angus? – was leading the force. Northerners sure are a grumpy lot, but the Teyrn was nice enough to meet Duncan and me when we arrived.

The only thing that made me uncomfortable is the fact that he seemed to recognize me.

I eventually find myself sitting in the small room assigned to me, stretching my legs after the long journey from Ostagar. It sure was colder here than in Ostagar and Redcliffe. Duncan says that it's because we're in the mountains, but still… not a nice place to live in, in my opinion. He also told me along the way that the other parts of Highever are slightly warmer, especially the small coastal plains a little to the north.

The silence eventually started to get to me, and I go out for a walk. We would be here for a while, so I might as well as see the sights. At least this feels more like an adventure than going to the Circle Tower with Gregor and Duran. Too many mages glaring at former Templar me would definitely not be good for my health. Nope, definitely not.

People in the keep greet me as "Ser Warden." It has a nice ring to it.

It's smack dab in themiddle of spring, and I'm dressed for winter. No wonder they say that people in Highever are hardy folk. A few of the guards nodded to me when they saw the Gray Warden insignia on my armor as my wandering feet took me to the northern wall, which is right near the edge of a cliff facing the Waking Sea, raging against the grim gray horizon and the beach. It was a pretty sight, I guess, though I'd rather not go for a swim there. I'd probably be frozen with some bits falling off after a minute or two.

"Lovely scene, isn't it?" someone says behind me.

I nearly jump out of my skin as I turn to see a woman watching me. She's probably my age, or a little younger, and definitely beautiful. Beautiful, and dangerous. She has this pale, delicate face that seemed to glow, framed by bits of dark hair falling off a messy bun. Her eyes are like those sapphires I once saw in some marketplace or another. She's probably a daughter of one of the knights or something, since she's dressed in light armor and armed with a pair of swords across her back.

"Sorry, please don't freak out," she quickly says, taking a step back like I'm a startled puppy or something.

"No, not freaking out. Most definitely not," I tell her.

"Good," she says, and proceeds to stand up right next to me, her eyes on the sea. "I've never seen you here before. Are you one of those knights from the other cities?"

"Uh, no. I actually came here riding on a griffin that breathes fire," I tell her.

She cracks up and shakes her head. "Ah, you're that Warden!" Her eyes drift to the insignia on my armor, and her smile widens. "I should have known. Please tell me you're the Warden Commander or something and kidnap me when you leave!"

I strike up a pose and raise an eyebrow. "Do you want to be ravaged by a Warden Commander, then?" I hope I my voice sounds like a purr. "I'm afraid Duncan will knock that notion off your head, My Fair Lady."

"Ugh, no! I'd rather keep my dignity intact, thank you very much!" Her eyes sparkle when she smiles, and I hope she does it a lot more. "It must be more interesting than being married off to someone just because I'm a woman."

I've heard of many knight families marrying daughters off to other knights. "I suppose it is more interesting, if you put it that way," I say. "It's not exactly as glamorous as you might, think, though. We wake up, eat breakfast, and get hacked to pieces. I've suggested forming a circle and dancing to drive them away before, you know."

"You've never tried wearing dresses to complete the dance, have you?" she asks, gazing at the sea again. There's this distant look in her face that keeps nagging me, telling me that I should know her. "You know, I haven't even asked your name yet."

"I'm Alistair, most junior Gray Warden at your service." I bow to her with a cheeky grin.

She turns to me so quickly that I'm afraid she might get hurt. Her blue eyes lock onto my face as they widen. "I'm Elinore Cousland, my good Ser Alistair. If I may ask, have you ever been to Redcliffe?"

With those six words, I suddenly feel stupid.

**Elinore**

The first time our parents deemed us fit to accompany them to Redcliffe, Elissa and I were seven. Evain was eight, and Fergus was fifteen. It was a year or two before Arl Eamon married, and we were invited to dine with the Arl for Satinalia. It was a particularly boring affair, as Satinalia in Highever can get a little wild. The other noble children there weren't so interesting so I found myself wandering the estate after dinner.

I met the Arl's fosterling in the library. His name is Alistair, and we became sort-of friends. He was eight, or so he said, and told me a lot of things about female knights and the Gray Wardens. We talked a lot with each other over the next two days, and I threw a tantrum when we were about to leave.

I never saw him again after that, because when we visited again two years later, the Arl mentioned that he was sent to train with the Tempars at the Chantry.

Now, this Warden I found on the wall did resemble him, though his red-gold hair is cropped short. Even his hazel eyes sparkle the same way Alistair's did when we were kids. I don't know how that particular memory survived for twelve years, but I'm glad it did, because when Mystery Warden Hunk finally introduced himself, I nearly choked on my own spit.

"I'm Elinore Cousland, my good Ser Alistair," I finally manage to say. "If I may ask, have you ever been to Redcliffe?"

It's his turn to be surprised, and his eyes widen as I finish speaking. It takes him a moment to reply, and when he does, he sounds breathless. "Elinore Cousland. I should've known." His cheeky smile returns and he leans a little toward me. "Yep, I've been in Redcliffe. Bet no one can miss my charming face, after all. I hope you don't threaten men with castration anymore, or else I'll be running off screaming back to Ostagar."

Of course, I wasn't trained for combat yet when we first met, but I did have the habit of threatening boys back then. Of course, gullible fellow children that they were, they all believed me.

"Nah," I tell him. "Castration lost its appeal years ago. How about you? Do you still spark debates about the taste of griffin meat?"

"Nope, but I never did get my answer," he tells me. "Andraste's holy knickers, I never expected to meet you again."

"I bet you forgot that I actually live here."

"Well, uh, yes. That's one reason."

We catch up over the next hour, with him telling stories about being bullied during his Templar training and me telling him that the most exciting thing in my life is being trained to defend myself. I don't ask him about why he was sent away, and he does not ask about life as a Teyrn's daughter.

Evain finds me still talking to Alistair after lunch and tells me that our mother is looking for us. He stares at Alistair curiously. The Warden shrugs and smiles. "Go on, Lady Cousland, you can find me later if I haven't bored you to death yet."

I smile and pat his arm before we part. Evain leads the way down and stops at the foot of the stairs. He crosses his arms in mock-disapproval. "Flirting with a fit and young Gray Warden, my dearest sister? I never thought that you had it in you."

"I'm not flirting with the Warden," I snap, though a big grin forms on my face. "You don't seriously remember Alistair?"

Evain blinks. "Wait, you don't mean to say that he's the scrawny boy from Redcliffe who follows you around like some adorable puppy?"

"He wasn't scrawny, and he did not follow me around."

Evain just laughs as we walk on. We find our parents in their room, our mother standing by her mirror, our father by the bed. He smiles when enter.

I can't bear the fact that he's off to fight the Blight tomorrow. Smiling back is difficult. "You called for us?" I ask.

Our father nods as Evain closes the door. He clears his throat and takes his place beside our mother, wrapping an arm around her waist. "The Blight is upon us, as you both know very well. I myself will be leaving with Rendon and his men tomorrow morning to join King Cailan's forces. If you must know, I am not completely sure if you are both aware that Fergus and I might not return alive after the battle."

"Father, surely you can't say that," Evain says, making a face. "I have not even married yet."

I see faint amusement in our father's eyes, but I have never seen how old he truly is until now. "Ah, you have gotten into the topic that I wished to discuss," our father says. "I might not be here to see the day that you will be wed – to someone who loves you, and that you love, I pray to the Maker – which is why I am here to give you the heirlooms that we planned to give you on your wedding day."

"Father, don't speak like this," I say, finally finding my voice. "You'll return after the battle."

"It will not be an assurance, child." Our father's eyes have never been so sad before. He smiles and heads to the small chest by their bed. "We should at least prepare for the worst."

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**Alright, so that's the first chapter. For now.**

**Just a fun trivia, I've always thought that Highever/Castle Cousland is pretty cold, and situated in a mountain.. hence the "High" in Highever. xD The Couslands kind of remind me of the Starks from ASOIAF, for some reason...**

**Anyway, if you've reached this point, *slowly claps* then I must thank you so much for reading! Thank you so much for reading, and please don't hesitate to leave a review. It helps.**

**Next chapter: In which Evain Cousland wakes up to disaster, and Elinore learns to be careful what she wishes for.**


	2. Amidst Fire and Smoke

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, Jon Snow.**

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**Chapter 2: Amidst Fire and Smoke  
**_"Darkness exists to make light truly count."_

**Evain**

I wake up to the sound of Shadow barking.

It's still well into the night, and I am groggy as I take note of my surroundings. I sit up, hearing more as my mind became more and more alert. People were shouting outside, and I could hear the unmistakable sound of weapons clashing.

"What's going on?" I ask.

Shadow stopped barking long enough to give me an understanding look before continuing his barks. I roll out of my bed, alarmed by the sounds of fighting. Iulling on the nearest clothing in reach when the door slams open.

A warrior peers in, wild-eyed in fear. "My Lord! We are under attack!" he cries out as an arrow strikes through his armor.

With a growl, Shadow leaps out of the room, leaving me to grab my sword and shield, plus my emergency pack – just in case. I'll have to get armor later. I step outside, where our guards were fighting unfamiliar warriors.

I join the fray with Shadow, saving the nearest guard's life with a swing of my blade. A nearby door bursts open, and my mother steps out garbed in armor. She nods to me, and we finish off the rest of the attackers.

"Rendon Howe! I should have known," she cries out as she examines a swordsman's shield. "These is the sigil of Amaranthine."

I remember my history lessons, of the Howe family being in conflict with my grandfather during the Orlesian occupation. It seems like they haven't forgotten.

The entrance to our sleeping quarters open, and Elinore steps in, her armor stained with blood, Interceptor hot on her heels. Behind her is Alistair the Warden. Both of them look like they've been fighting longer than we were. My wild-eyed sister turns to our mother. "Who did this? Where's Father?" she roared.

"I don't know where Bryce is," our mother admits tiredly. "You will be telling me what you are doing with a man at this late hour after all this is over, young lady."

Elinore turns red, exchanges a glance with her companion, and turns back to us with a serious glint in her eyes. I realize what she is thinking of. "Oriana and Oren…" I gasp.

"Maker help us, please let them be alive," our mother moans as we run to Fergus' room.

I kick the door open, an arrow comes flying toward us. I dodge, but it nicks my cheek. Anger clouds my mind, and I run into the room, stabbing the archer before he manages to fire another arrow. I could hear the others fighting around me, but I focus on the pair of warriors running to me. I duck to dodge one's blow, and lash out with my sword to strike the other in the knee, sending him down. My mind narrows down into thinking only of the battle, staying well away from the implications this may have regarding the people who own this room.

Time seems to stop as I turn and realize that all the enemies in the room are dead. Two other corpses lie on the floor too, and my blood runs cold.

Oriana and Oren.

Andraste's tears.

I can't move. I can't breathe. I'm vaguely aware of anything but the sister-in-law who taught me more about the lands beyond Ferelden, and the nephew who shared my interest in songs and tales of adventure. I hear Alistair murmuring condolences, and our mother uttering a prayer.

Elinore began to sob. "What kind of monster would do this? They were helpless!"

"They are not taking hostages. They mean to kill everybody," our mother whispered.

At those words, anger finally surges through my surprise and anguish. "I'll make everyone responsible for this pay. I swear to the Maker, even if it takes me decades – lifetimes – I will hunt them all down and make them pay."

Elinore nods and wraps an arm around my waist. She wipes off her tears on the back of her hand and sniffs. "Let's go. We need to find any other survivors."

Our mother nods. "Meet us at the end of the quarters. Elinore, take your emergency pack. Ser Warden, please stay with her in case you get attacked. Evain, we must see if Lady Landra still lives."

We split up. Our mother and I jog through the hallway and I throw the door open, shield raised at the ready. An arrow lodges itself on the wooden surface, knocking me back. Before I could move forward, the archer was already dead, my mother's sure aim taking care of the matter. I knock down the swordsman with my shield, giving my mother time to rush into Lady Landra's quarters. Shadow rips off the man's throat.

I stay outside as I hear her weeping.

Loud barks herald Elinore's arrival. Her mabari yips at Shadow, apparently some form of communication. Our mother steps out of Lady Landra's room, head held high. "We need to get to the treasury," she announces.

"The treasury?" I ask. "What are we going to do in there?"

"We're retrieving the family sword and shield. Without those, Rendon will never truly get his hands on Highever."

Of course. The family sword and shield are ancient treasures, not just symbols of our family, but of Highever as a whole. We leave the quarters and run through Castle Cousland, my eyes tearing up from the scent of fire and smoke. Soldiers fight soldiers, and the screams of pain and fury wafts through the air.

We exit into a courtyard, and cross it into a mesh of paths leading to the guard post which protects the treasury. It was deserted, but thankfully the treasury door seems intact. Our mother unlocks it and steps in. We wait outside, ready for an attack.

Minutes pass in silence.

Our mother steps out with the sword and shield in question. "Evain, darling, it would be more fitting if you use these."

The sword's balance is good, better than my current weapon. The shield is bigger but lighter, which will take some getting used to. We step out and right into a battle raging just a few paths away. Elinore joins the fray, throwing knives into enemy warriors' backs before grabbing her twin swords.

We find ourselves into the entrance hall after a few more small fights, guarded by a number of warriors while the rest escort servants, children, and the elderly through the exit in the larder.

My leg was burning in pain, but I threw myself into the clash without any second thoughts while our soldiers tried to seal the entrance. Roland Gilmore approached us, hacking his way through the enemies. "Teyrna Eleanor!"

"Roland! Where's Bryce?" Our mother seems to be holding in her fear as we dispatch the last of the Amaranthine warriors.

Roland shakes his head. "He left to look for you, My Lady. He was with the Warden Commander."

"Duncan was with him? Where were they going?"

"They wanted to see if you left through the servant tunnels."

Our mother nod, as if that settled everything. "Very well. We will be heading for the ladder. Maker protect us all."

**Elinore**

We eventually reach the kitchens, where all non-combatant survivors are gathered with some warrior escorts. One of them approach us with a grim look. "The Teyrn is in the larder, badly injured. We do not want to leave without him."

"Bryce would not wish for you to be killed simply because he cannot fight. Go on, move," our mother barked, the stress of the situation getting the better of her.

Our father was lying in a pool of blood, softly murmuring encouragements for the sudden rush of survivors fleeing through the exit, some also stop to ask for forgiveness – because who would leave their wounded lord without being forced to? With a cry, our mother rushes to him, hand pressing against one of his numerous wounds.

"Father, what have they done to you?" Evain growls, kneeling before him.

"Age got the best of me. I am too old to fight," our father admits sadly. "I was struck by a warrior and would have bled out there, but Duncan found me."

"I'll kill him!" Evain yells.

"Where is the Warden Commander?" I ask.

Father turns to me. "He should be here shortly."

As all the survivors pass through the exit, Duncan himself appears, blood-stained and sporting numerous cuts. "I've made sure that no soldiers will be arriving here to surprise us," he says grimly. "I've bought us enough time to leave. Alistair, are you ready?"

"Yes, but the Teyrn…" the Warden in question begins.

"I won't survive the standing, if that's what you mean," our father says.

"That's not true," I whisper. "You'll be fine."

"Yes, you will," our mother growls. "We'll find you a healer once we get out."

Our father laughs. It is pained, and that terrifies me. "I won't make it out of the tunnels alive, my dear. If only your words could make it so."

"Father, please, don't say that," I tell him.

"We will all leave for Ostagar," Evain agrees.

Our mother's face looks grim. "It seems like it will not be possible. Fergus and Elissa must know about this." She turns to Duncan. "Warden Commander, if I may ask this as a favor… could you take my children with you?"

"If you think we're leaving without you, think again," I blurt out.

"You will," our mother whispers sadly. "My duty is here, with Bryce. I can buy you some time to escape with the others. So I ask once more, Warden Commander, will you take them with you? Invoke the Right of Conscription if you must, but keep my children safe."

"Very well. I came here looking for a recruit, and I shall return to Ostagar with two. But I promise you, Lady Eleanor, I will take care of your children."

"Mother! You can't!" I don't care if I'm crying. Even if the last time I cried was when I was twelve.

"Howe will pay for this, I promise," Evain said, face hardening into a stone mask. He takes my hand comfortingly. "We will survive for you. We will seek vengeance. Fergus and Elissa will know. They have a right to. Elinore, our duty is to Highever, and we cannot do our duty if we're dead."

"Very well," I whisper.

"Evain, Ser Alistair, please take care of our Pup," our father whispers. "Make your marks upon the world, young ones."

Evain nods. Alistair bows his head. "Yes," they both say. "We will."

"We will find justice, Father," I swear.

We hear shouts and footsteps outside, and Duncan approaches us. "Let's go."

Arl Rendon Howe should pray to the Maker for mercy, for when we meet again, we shall have none.

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**Read and review, please! Any feedback is greatly appreciated. :3**


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